To be sure, there are numerous harnesses and backpacks for dogs for applications ranging from hiking to rescue. However, for the most part, these designs do not take canine anatomy into account, and for at least that reason, lead to products that are uncomfortable for the animal, leading to fatigue and, in some cases, pain.
Most canine backpacks are simply that—backpacks for dogs that simply strap onto the back of the animal. One example of many is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,745, which describes a dog pack harness comprised of a base member positioned on the back and the sides of the dog, a plurality of pocket and holding elements for storing various items, a ventral strap assembly means securing the base member to the dog, a dorsal strap assembly device for securing the base member to the collar, and a slidable collar attachment for securing of the collar element to the dorsal strap assembly device. As with most such designs, this dog pack harness has poor weight distribution, virtually ignoring parts of the dog better more naturally equipped to accommodate loads such as the shoulders.
Other designs consider the shoulder area of the animal, but only for attachment and not for weight distribution. One example here is described in Published U.S. Application Serial No. 2010 0212269, entitled “Canine Rescue Harness.” This design comprises a body configured for fitting on a canine, one or more receptacles for receiving items, and one or more magnetic fasteners configured for securing the harness to the canine and the magnetic fasteners being configured for disengaging if an external force is applied to the harness. The article is fitted to the dog's chest and torso, and provides openings for the dog's two front legs. According to this reference, “the body 20 is fitted to cover the least amount of area on the dog as needed to secure whatever items are required for the search and rescue operation, so as to minimize overheating of the dog 5 caused by wearing the harness 10. A close fit of the body 20 to the dog 5 may better prevent the harness 10 from getting caught on protruding debris.” While these intentions are admirable, the design overall appears to very uncomfortable, with virtually no attention paid to the way in which the article interacts with the neck of the animal. And while the use of magnetic fastening may be adequate for some situations, it is unsuitable for carrying life-saving and/or expensive items.
The need remains, therefore, for a lightweight yet versatile canine pack harness with improved weight distribution, including the ways in which carried articles are distributed on the animal.